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March 11, 2026

Centreville Spy

Nonpartisan and Education-based News for Centreville

Food and Garden Notes

Adkins Mystery Monday! Can you Guess What this Is?

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Happy Mystery Monday! Can you guess what is pictured in photo #1?
The answer to last week’s mystery is sassafras, Sassafras albidum, pictured in photo #2.
Sassafras is a thicket-forming tree native to much of the eastern US, and can have three types of leaves: ovate, mitten-shaped and three-lobed.
Because of its aromatic qualities, sassafras was one of the first trees exported from North America to Europe and commanded premium prices. Ground sassafras leaves have a lemonade-like aroma that some people liken to Fruit Loops, but with hints of camphor and old wood, while sassafras roots are the original source flavor in root beer.
Sassafras leaves are traditionally ground into a spice called filé powder which is a mainstay thickener and flavor of Creole cuisine including gumbo.
Adkins Mystery Monday is sponsored by the Spy and Adkins Arboretum. For more information go here.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Adkins Mystery Monday: Perhaps Connected to a Local River?

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Happy Mystery Monday!  Can you guess what is pictured in this photo?
The answer to last week’s mystery is Northern sea oats, Chasmanthium latifolium, pictured in photo #2.
Northern sea oats most often occur in rich woods or rocky slopes along streams and on moist bluffs. Sea oats naturalize by reseeding and spread by rhizomes. They make a good habitat for some species of birds, offering food in the form of seeds, as well as cover.
Flat, green “flowers” develop on the arching stem tips from July through September. The flower heads are alluring and a slightest breeze will send flower heads fluttering on their stems. In fall, they become tan before the foliage turns to a copper color in early winter.
Snow adds eye-catching appeal to sea oats. The flowers gradually shatter ito make way for new spring growth, providing almost a full year of interest.

Adkins Mystery Monday is sponsored by the Spy and Adkins Arboretum. For more information go here.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Adkins Mystery Monday: What Kind of Special Oats are These?

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Happy Mystery Monday!  Can you guess what is pictured in photo #1?
The answer to last week’s mystery is the Eastern kingsnake, Lampropeltis getula, pictured in photo #2.
The Eastern kingsnake is a powerful constrictor, but is harmless to humans. They are non-venomous, but will feed on venomous snakes, like copperheads and rattlesnakes. This makes them a great snake to have in the yard.
Eastern kingsnakes are shiny, black, smooth-scaled snakes with white or yellow chain-link bands that cross the back and connect along the sides. Because of this pattern this species is also referred to as the chain kingsnake.
Correction: Last week we incorrectly identified Cirsium discolor as the non-native Cirsium vulgare. The photo we shared was indeed the native Cirsium discolor.
Adkins Mystery Monday is sponsored by the Spy and Adkins Arboretum. For more information go here.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Take The Maryland Native Plant Coalition Survey on Invasive Plants

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The Maryland Native Plant Coalition has created a short survey to learn more about invasive plants across the state of Maryland.  We’d love to have as many people complete it as possible.  It only takes a few minutes to complete and includes a link to the Mid-Atlantic Invaders Tool for more information so you can be more confident with species identification.   Survey. Please try to complete it by November 3rd.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Happy Mystery Monday! Can You Guess the Plant?

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The answer to last week’s mystery is the winged sumac, Rhus copallinum, pictured in photo #2.

winged sumac

The winged sumac is also known as shining sumac, flame leaf sumac, and dwarf sumac. Because of its size (up to 10-15’ high), some consider it to be a shrub while others consider it to be a tree.

Shrub or tree, the winged sumac is colorful! Its flowers can be white, yellow/gold, or green. The leaves start as green but change to burgundy or red. Also, red fruits emerge in the fall and continue into winter.
The winged sumac has great value to bees, butterflies, moths (e.g., the Luna moth), songbirds, white-tailed deer, wild turkeys, and quail.
Mystery Monday is sponsored by the Spy Newspapers and Adkins Arboretum.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Upper Shore Master Gardener Programs to hold Basic Training

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As we patiently await crisp fall days, the Upper Shore Master Gardener Programs are preparing for their annual basic training course, which starts on Wednesday, February 07, 2024. 

This program is intended to train volunteer representatives as Master Gardeners for the University of Maryland Extension to extend our services and programs to the public. Classes will be held virtually on Wednesdays from 6 to 9 p.m. and will run through May 8, 2024. In-person classes will be held in person every other Friday at Eastern Shore Higher Education Center on the Chesapeake College Campus in Queenstown, MD and are held in conjunction with the University of Maryland Extension in Dorchester, Talbot, and Queen Anne’s Counties. 

This well-rounded 40+ hour course includes classes on: ecology, botany, soils, plant diseases, insects – both pests and beneficial, weeds, and much more. This program emphasizes community involvement and outreach as well as environmental stewardship. A $185 fee is charged to cover all costs including the Maryland Master Gardener Handbook. All Master Gardener interns are required to undergo a University of Maryland background check (+$15) prior to taking the class. The deadline for registration is December 1, 2023. If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in any event or activity, please contact your local University of Maryland Extension Office by November 17, 2023.

The University of Maryland Master Gardener vision is a healthier world through environmental stewardship.  In keeping with this vision, University of Maryland Extension Master Gardeners volunteers work on a variety of projects in cooperation with local schools, help maintain various public gardens, volunteer at local Senior Centers and Assisted Living facilities working with therapeutic gardens and hands-on gardening programs, provide community education through free workshops and classes open to local residents, visit home and public gardens as part of our Bay-Wise certification program…and much more.  

For more information about the program, please visit https://www.facebook.com/talbotcountymastergardeners
We are looking forward to working with a new, energetic class of horticulture enthusiasts! 

For Talbot County: Mikaela Boley, Master Gardener Coordinator (410) 822-1244 or by email at [email protected]

For Queen Anne’s County contact: Rachel J. Rhodes, Master Gardener Coordinator at (410) 758-0166 or by email at [email protected].

For Dorchester County: Emily Zobel, Master Gardener Coordinator (410) 228-8800 or by email at [email protected] 

University programs, activities, and facilities are available to all without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, age, national origin, political affiliation, physical or mental disability, religion, protected veteran status, genetic information, personal appearance, or any other legally protected class.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Adkins Arboretum’s Enchanted Fairyfest is Oct. 7

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Bring your wands, wings and magical costumes for a day of fantasy at Adkins Arboretum! Celebrating fancy and fun in the forest, Fairyfest returns to the Arboretum on Sat., Oct. 7 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

This year’s Fairyfest offers more outdoor magic than ever. Mix potions in a cauldron, visit a dragon’s nest and follow a trail of fairy houses along the Arboretum’s enchanted forest paths. Feel the wind in your wings on the Neverland pirate ship and sword fight with a scoundrel in the meadow. Kick up your feet in the maypole dance, try your hand at magical games and take a break for a spellbinding craft. The beloved event also includes live entertainment by Mid Shore Dance Academy, Allegra! and Ampersand.

Unicorn rides with Snapdragon Stables, delicious offerings from Beltway Bistro and Blue Monkey Street Tacos food trucks and treats from Lucky Heart Bakery and Scottish Highland Creamery will be available for sale. Don’t forget your camera for photos with the Fairy Court!

Leading up to this exciting day, all are invited to build their own fairy dwellings for The Great Fairy House Challenge. Entries will be displayed on the forest paths in the week before Fairyfest and will be eligible for awards and prizes in the categories of Golden Fairy, Most Magical, Simply Spellbinding and Enchanted Excellence. An entry form and guidelines are available at adkinsarboretum.org.

Fairyfest is $10 per person for ages 3 and up and free for children ages 2 and under. Admission is capped at 400, so early registration is highly recommended at adkinsarboretum.org or by calling 410-634-2847, ext. 0. In case of rain, Fairyfest will be rescheduled for Sun., Oct. 8 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Fairyfest is generously sponsored in part by Chesapeake Blooms and Caroline County Council of Arts. For more information, visit adkinsarboretum.org or call 410-634-2847, ext. 100.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Chesapeake Wildlife Heritage to Host Annual Magnificent Monarchs Workshop

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Chesapeake Wildlife Heritage will host its annual Magnificent Monarchs workshop on Sat., Sept. 30 at 10:30 a.m. at Barnstable Hill Farm in Chester. The public is invited to join CWH staff to tag and learn about the migrating habits of Monarch butterflies. Participants will also learn about the Monarch’s life cycle and will help scientists from around the continent track its astounding generational migration.

The workshop is free to the public, but space is limited. Due to continuing COVID concerns, all participants must be fully vaccinated. CWH reserves the right to cancel the workshop if staff feel that conditions are not safe to hold it.

To register, email [email protected] or call 410-822-5100. Directions will be provided.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Environmental Concern’s 25th Annual Fall Native Plant Sale 

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It is time to gear up for the autumn gardening season at Environmental Concern’s 25th Annual Fall Native Plant Sale. We are returning to our in-person sale on EC’s campus in historic St. Michaels. Over 70 species of native herbaceous plants, trees, and shrubs will be available for purchase on September 8 and 9 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. With over 50 years of experience growing plants native to the Chesapeake Bay watershed, EC will offer quality, locally grown ecotypes to add to your garden.  

Whether looking for native flowering perennials to support pollinating insects, or shrubs with the texture and color to set your landscape apart, you will find the perfect plant at the sale. EC’s nursery staff has selected plants for rain gardens, pollinator gardens, drainage swales, and coastal shorelines. Our knowledgeable staff will be available to offer advice and guidance as you choose the appropriate plants for your garden habitat. 

Environmental Concern’s (EC) native plant sale is your opportunity to see and inspect the plants before you buy them. A healthy plant will have strong stems, vibrant foliage, and well-developed roots. We encourage customers to turn the plants over to look at the hardy root systems and to ask questions about our growing processes. EC only sells local ecotypes which have adapted to survive in our climate. Native plants are hardy and require less maintenance and care than other species. Bringing native species into your garden has many benefits, including improving the health of our waterways and providing food and shelter for local wildlife. We encourage you to plant with a purpose. 

Celebrate nature’s beauty with us! This event is open to everyone. Join us at Environmental Concern’s 25th Annual Fall Native Plant Sale for a fun-filled day of shopping at the plant sale, enjoying lunch in historic St. Michaels, or strolling on the Nature Trail.  

Environmental Concern Inc. is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit corporation dedicated to working with all aspects of wetlands – the world’s most productive and fascinating ecosystems. 

For more information, follow us on social media or sign up for our plant sale updates at www.wetland.org. 

 

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Trees, Trails & Waterways, Oil Paintings by Nancy Thomas at Adkins Arboretum

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Nancy Thomas, “Urieville Lake,” oil, 24” x 12”

With a curve of blue water winding back through a marsh or a sandy path through the dunes, Nancy Thomas’s oil paintings invite you in. The Eastern Shore’s watery landscapes are her favorite subject, and she captures the light and color of marshes, trees and curving waterways in her show, Trees, Trails & Waterways, on view in the Adkins Arboretum Visitor’s Center through Oct. 27. There will be a reception on Sat., Sept. 9 from 2 to 4 p.m.

There’s a gentle feeling of peace in “Urieville Lake.” Lush trees catch the light and throw warm shadows onto its calm water while lily pads float lazily in the foreground. Created during this year’s “Paint the Town,” Chestertown’s annual plein air festival, it’s an inviting portrait of a warm summer’s day.

Plein air painting is an increasingly popular form of art whose name comes from the French for “open air” and refers to painting outdoors. But it’s more than just working at an easel in the open air. It’s a form of landscape painting aimed at capturing an intense and intimate impression of a landscape.

“I particularly enjoy the immediacy of plein air painting and the constant decision-making it entails,” Thomas said. “One has to decide what to include and what to edit out and when to commit to the ever-changing shadow patterns. During this process, I feel most alive.”

Thomas has been an avid plein air painter since she moved to the Eastern Shore from Alexandria, Va., in 1994. She regularly paints with the Plein Air Painters of the Chesapeake Bay and participates in many plein air festivals, including Plein Air Easton, Chestertown’s Paint the Town, Artists Paint OC in Ocean City and Paint It! Ellicott City. She’s a member of the Baltimore Watercolor Society, the Oil Painters of America and the Working Artists Forum and has been a partner in The Artists’ Gallery in Chestertown since 2010.

Thomas has a flair for capturing momentary experiences. Her loose brushwork and strong, often surprising color choices give her paintings a lively energy and a compelling sense of discovery. Marsh grasses glow chartreuse, emerald, ochre and cinnamon brown in “Assateague Favorite View,” while pale blue water catches reflections in its rippling surface. A fleeting glimpse of sunlight glows on the angular branches of a cedar in “Last Light,” while in “Peaceful View,” late summer trees lean toward a hot, pale sun glowing in the hazy sky.

“Whatever the landscape, it is the light that determines what one will paint,” Thomas explained. “It is the attempt to capture a moment in time.”

This show is part of Adkins Arboretum’s ongoing exhibition series of work on natural themes by regional artists. It is on view through Oct. 27 at the Arboretum Visitor’s Center located at 12610 Eveland Road near Tuckahoe State Park in Ridgely. Contact the Arboretum at 410-634-2847, ext. 100 or [email protected] for gallery hours.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.